Examples: Policy and practice Focus Pt 2 - Area Management
Blackpool Borough Council: Reassurance Plus
Problem analysis
There was a sense of public insecurity in the area triggered not by incidents of serious crime but by signs of disorder, such as damage to public property. Also, several wards in Blackpool had high levels of deprivation, drug abuse, and crime.
Organisational response
The police's Reassurance model seeks to address and reassure communities where, despite a fall in crime, the fear of crime is high. Blackpool Borough Council's Reassurance Plus initiatives borrowed this model but also took a multi-agency partnering approach initiated by Landlord Services (Blackpool Council Housing). This approach involved the police, fire, education, and health services, and community and local housing associations.
Blackpool Borough Council set up three Reassurance Plus initiatives to address problematic neighbourhoods: Talbot, Brunswick and Grange Park. The mission was neighbourhood improvement and the creation of stronger, safer communities.
Reassurance Plus provides a team that is known and accessible to the community. It includes Community Engagement Officers, Community Beat Managers, and Special Constables. The team identifies public concerns by engaging with the community, specifically through Monthly Tasking Meetings, where the community informs the Reassurance Team of their concerns. Quarterly Public Meetings also allow the public to raise concerns directly with key agencies and service providers. Theme Groups facilitate the community to raise and discuss identified problems.
Self-assessment
The Reassurance project in Grange Park, an area with high levels of arson and anti-social behaviour, was successful; the estate won the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister Award for Sustainable Communities in 2004, and the Housing Excellence Award in 2005.
The Grange Park project suggests that Reassurance Plus must operate on a partnering approach as it allows effective pooling of resources and creates the prospect of addressing various problems in the targeted area such as litter, drugs, poor housing, and anti-social behaviour that require multi-agency solutions.
Crawley Borough Council: Let's Face It
Problem analysis
Crawley Borough Council determined that the local environment of Crawley had to improve - open spaces required "greening", community safety needed improvement, and problems such as fly-tipping and graffiti needed to be addressed.
Organisational response
"Let's FACE it!", a year-round campaign of clean-up activities and planting, intends to improve Crawley's local environment through community volunteering. FACE stands for "Focus Action for Crawley's Environment". Residents, with support from the Council, start and lead projects. The Council helps volunteers get in touch with each other, and funds the various projects. The campaign is managed by the Council's Amenity Services, which also manage and maintain Crawley's parks and streets. Front-line staff of Amenity Services - such as gardeners and cleaners - assists with Let's FACE it! projects as part of their normal duties. Crawley Council credited the partnership approach as responsible for the success of the projects. The projects included dealing with graffiti, litter, fly-tipping, conservation, greening open spaces, and community safety. In January 2006, there were 20 ongoing projects.
A high profile parade involving 600 children from 21 schools launched the campaign in April 2005, and since then it has attracted praise and awards - Crawley Borough Council is one of the few local authorities to be awarded full Eco Management and Audit Scheme accreditation.
Crawley Borough Council surmised that promotion and marketing were essential to the campaign's success in attracting volunteers (who then went on to set up projects). A logo was developed as branding for the project, and residents were kept informed of projects through direct mail, the Council's magazine, and local newspapers. "Lets Face It!" stickers on vehicles, lampposts and 40,000 recycling bins kept the campaign in the public eye. An informational booklet on the environment was published and distributed to every household in Crawley and a further 20,000 copies were put on public display.
Self-assessment
The coordinator of "Lets Face It!" reported that most communities benefit from "Lets Face It!" projects because they improve the town's environment for everyone's advantage. The coordinator also concluded that the campaign's projects engaged the community, and for many residents the projects afforded them the opportunity to get to know their neighbours. In that way, the projects also helped build cohesive communities.
Boston Mayflower: Tensions with the Portuguese Community in a rural area
Problem analysis
Tensions flared up between the existing white community and newcomers following the rapid increase in the numbers of migrant workers from Portugal who became residents of the small town of Boston in Lincolnshire. White residents feared that the Portuguese residents were likely to take all the available jobs (or that they would decrease wage levels) and that public resources would be unfairly distributed towards the newcomers. There was, for example, resentment when teachers gave extra language tuition to the children of the Portuguese workers. Some local newspapers inflamed the situation with unbalanced editorials and by always printing the letters of concerned local people. Newspapers also did nothing to halt unfounded rumours - such as one that the police were preventing people from displaying the St. George's Cross in their homes or cars.
The deteriorating situation came to a head in the summer of 2004, during which time the European Championships football tournament was being held in Portugal. A pub owned by a Portuguese resident was regularly attacked and daubed in racist graffiti. After the England team played Portugal, there was a riot in the town, which was clearly race-related. It is reported that the BNP had been canvassing in the area. Although most of the incidents did not occur on the social landlord's property, Boston Mayflower were keen to promote community cohesion in the area.
Organisational response
Boston Mayflower has joined the local Community Safety Partnership with other social landlords, the police, the Race Equality Council and other local agencies. This partnership has supported the work of the Race Equality Council in addressing the concerns of local residents and providing education on newcomers. The Community Safety Partnership has also supported Lincolnshire Police's introduction of a central racist incident reporting scheme called True Vision. This allows residents to report racist incidents through a variety of means other than entering a police station. It also creates a standardised incident form and incident-logging database for use across agencies.
The Chief Executive of the housing association has taken an active role in countering some of the ignorance and intolerance displayed in the local media. Through meetings with staff at the newspaper and counter-articles in the press, the landlord has attempted to provide an alternative picture to that painted by some local editors. Whilst the rumour about police action towards St. George's flags was circling, the Community Safety Partnerships released press statements reporting their versions of events.
Additionally, the social landlord has been engaged in creating activities which can bring the communities together. There have been a series of football matches between the newcomers and existing residents, for example. A furniture recycling scheme has been set up to allow newcomers to live in their own properties on first arrival.
Lessons learnt
The community in Boston has never before had to deal with a large influx of people in this way and were fearful that their livelihoods were at risk. Working in partnership and tackling misinformation, has allowed local agencies to foster a greater spirit of acceptance and tolerance towards the new communities.
Cobalt Housing: Seconded Police Officer
Cobalt Housing in Liverpool and Merseyside Police initiated the secondment of a police officer to Cobalt Housing's ASB Team to make it easier for tenants to contact the police. The seconded Police Officer working within Cobalt Housing's ASB team:
- Investigates and resolves ASB issues
- Gathers intelligence about those involved in such behaviours and passes that intelligence onto the Police
- Interviews victims and perpetrators of ASB
- Helps to identify ASB hotspots
- Implements Police operations designed to alleviate problems
- Advises tenants from both the perspectives of the Police and Cobalt Housing
- Attends tenant and resident meetings and gives guidance on criminal justice matters including how the Police operate
- Speaks with individuals and families in a confidential manner.
Cobalt Housing funds the secondment scheme, which involves meeting the cost of the seconded officer's salary (currently £45,595 with costs). Additionally, Cobalt has set aside £120,000 towards joint initiatives with the Police e.g. extra Police patrols in ASB hotspots.
Kingfisher Housing Association: Presentations in Schools
The presentations usually lasted 30 to 45 minutes (dependent on the level of class participation). The presentations made to children aged 7 and 10/11 explained tenancy agreements, the consequences of breaking those agreements, the meaning of eviction, definitions of acceptable behaviour contracts and anti-social behaviour orders, and the importance of respect and responsibility. Flash cards were used for younger children as they help explain the content of the presentation.
(Visit to download sample presentations and flashcards used in schools by Kingfisher Housing Association.)